Arkansas Air National Guard has first female commanderFORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Air Wing has a new commander. Col. Bobbi Doorenbos took over Sunday during a ceremony in which she replaces Col. Mark Anderson. Doorenbos becomes the first female commander of an Arkansas National Guard wing, but told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1AHQ6oo ) that doesn't impress her much, noting that she has been a female her entire life. Doorenbos will command about...

Arkansas AG urges $97K pay raise for successorLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The outgoing Democratic attorney general of Arkansas is urging a panel reviewing elected officials' salaries to more than double his Republican successor's pay. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Monday recommended that the Independent Citizens Commission raise incoming Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's pay from $73,132 a year to at least $165,000. The seven-member panel was created to review and adjust salaries for ...

University of Arkansas chancellor returning to facultyLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The chancellor at the University of Arkansas' flagship campus said Monday that he will give up the post July 31 and return to the faculty. He said he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren. G. David Gearhart has directed the campus in northwestern Arkansas since 2008, and it has grown from 19,000 students to 26,200 during that time. He was an adept fundraiser, directing its advancement division through a $1.04...

Arkansas lawmakers begin 2015 legislative sessionLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas lawmakers began the 2015 legislative session Monday, facing questions about the future of the state's compromise Medicaid expansion and a push by the incoming governor to cut income taxes by $100 million a year. Members of the House and Senate gathered at the state Capitol for the 90th General Assembly, with leaders vowing to work together after an election where Republicans swept statewide offices and expande...

Much of Arkansas could experience wintry precipitationLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A cold front will bring a chance of wintry precipitation to much of Arkansas overnight. The National Weather Service in Little Rock stated the system will spread into southwestern Arkansas shortly after midnight and spread across most of the state by Sunday morning. Forecasters say that with below-freezing temperatures, wintry precipitation is expected. But ice accumulations are not in the state's forecast and the precipitat...

Arkansas State Police investigates officer-involved shootingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas State Police officials say they are investigating an officer-involved shooting outside a Lonoke County residence in which two men died. State police say in a statement that police in England responded to a report of a domestic disturbance involving two men at about 2:15 p.m. Friday. Officers observed an armed man standing next to another man who was lying on the ground. As the officers attempted to defuse the armed ...

2 dead in Lonoke County incident, 1 shot after police arriveENGLAND (AP) — Arkansas State Police say a domestic incident at England in Lonoke County has left two people dead, including one person shot after local police arrived. State police spokesman Bill Sadler said troopers are investigating Friday's shooting at the request of the England Police Department. He said in a statement that England police responded to a domestic disturbance involving two men and that when officers arrived they found an ar...

Panel advises Arkansas to look at retiree health care plansLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An advisory panel is recommending that the state of Arkansas explore offering Medicare managed care plans to retired state and public school employees who are covered by the federal program for the elderly and disabled. About 18,000 retired state and school employees are enrolled in state plans that supplement traditional Medicare coverage. Under the recommendation by the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Boa...

Things to watch in 2015 Arkansas legislative sessionLITTLE ROCK (AP) — With Republicans in control of both the Arkansas Legislature and the governor's office, the political landscape will be dramatically different when lawmakers convene at the Capitol for this year's legislative session. The issues, however, will be familiar. Members of the House and Senate convene Monday for the 90th General Assembly, and a day later Republican Asa Hutchinson will be sworn in as the state's 46th governor. Legi...

New Arkansas AG vows to avoid 'political calculations'LITTLE ROCK (AP) — When Leslie Rutledge takes office next week, she'll be the first woman to serve as Arkansas' attorney general, the first Republican in the modern era and, to hear her tell it, an elected official not wondering what political job she'll pursue next. Arkansas' previous 11 attorneys general have all sought another major office: three became governor, five launched bids for governor and three ran for the U.S. Senate, one success...

Steel company lays off 500 employees in Texas, BlythevilleBLYTHEVILL (AP) — A steel company that caters to the energy industry is laying off 500 employees at facilities in Conroe, Texas, and at Blytheville. Television station KAIT in Jonesboro reported that Tenaris Hickman laid off the workers Friday. It cited developments with the "energy industry's present circumstances." Oil prices have fallen for months and are at a five-year low. Tenaris said in a statement that the company is adjusting producti...

Gov.-elect Hutchinson picks new state finance directorLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Incoming Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday appointed a former federal trade official who once headed Arkansas' economic development agency to be the state's next chief fiscal officer. Larry Walther takes over as head of the state Department of Finance and Administration from its longtime director, Richard Weiss, who is retiring. Walther is a former member of the board of directors for the Export-Import Bank and had previously se...

Southern Arkansas University to interview 3 for presidentMAGNOLIA (AP) — The Southern Arkansas University Board of Trustees has selected three candidates for SAU president for interviews. The university will interview current SAU provost and Vice President Trey Berry; Rich Mountain Community College in Mena President Marc Wilson; and Indiana University of Pennsylvania Vice President Cornelius Wooten. Dates for the interviews will be scheduled by the SAU office of human resources. Current SAU System ...

In reality, does a wrestling mortuary owner make good TV?LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Reality TV used to be so simple: drop some people into unfamiliar territory, pump up the drama and hope viewers can't look away. "Wrestling with Death" isn't like that. "You've never seen wrestling juxtaposed with the mortuary story," said Tom Huffman, the senior vice president of unscripted programming for WGN America. The 12-episode show, which debuts on WGN America at 9 p.m. CST Tuesday, focuses on the family of LaFonce L...

Salary panel asks to review out-of-state data LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The panel reviewing the salaries of Arkansas' elected officials wants the Legislature's researchers to compile economic data from other states before it makes any changes to the current pay structure. The Independent Citizens Commission, created by voters last November through a constitutional amendment that also extended legislative term limits, faces a Feb. 2 deadline to review current salaries. At its meeting Wednesday, p...

Hutchinson wants broader discussion on health care LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Incoming Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday he wants to take a broader look at Arkansas' role in health care that goes beyond whether the state should continue its compromise Medicaid expansion. The Republican governor-elect, who is set to take office on Tuesday, said he wants a discussion on the state's Medicaid program that doesn't focus solely on the "private option" expansion. Under the private option, Arkansas is using ...

Death of woman in Harrison fire investigated as homicide HARRISON (AP) — Police in Harrison say the death of a woman whose body found following a house fire is being investigated as a homicide. Police Chief Paul Woodruff told the Harrison Daily Times (http://bit.ly/14vd3jU ) that the woman was found dead and a child injured in the fire Tuesday. The woman's name and a suspected cause of her death were not released. The nature of the child's injuries also were not released.

Community Foundation asks public statewide to give onlineLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Community Foundation today announced a $1 million goal for a statewide giving day to be held on April 2. Online donations made via ArkansasGives.org between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on April 2 will help nonprofit participants earn bonus dollars from a $250,000 bonus pool provided by the Community Foundation. To participate, nonprofits must register at ArkansasGives.org by Feb. 14 and be a member of the Arkansas Nonprofit Allian...

Cold front to drop temperatures considerably NORTH LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A strong cold front is approaching Arkansas and is expected to push the state to its lowest temperatures of the season so far. The National Weather Service says temperatures could reach the 30s during the day in southern parts of the state but should be below freezing statewide by sunset Wednesday. By Thursday, temperatures could be in the single digits in northern Arkansas and in the teens elsewhere. Only flurries are...

Gov.-elect Hutchinson open to changes in consolidation law LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' new governor said Tuesday that good schools in remote locations should have a chance to avoid state-mandated consolidation, even if their enrollment drops below allowable limits. To address shortcomings highlighted in a school funding lawsuit, Arkansas since 2004 has required that school districts with fewer than 350 pupils be merged with a neighbor. More than 60 districts have closed since the law took effect. Gov...